


meet me where the water is warmer

by s0joshdun



Series: gosh damn that's a gay fish [2]
Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Angst Free Zone, Cute, Fluff, Josh is a merman, M/M, Magic, Sequel, They love each other, honestly pure fluff, it's cute, joshler - Freeform, tyler is a regular dude, yass part 2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-06 22:51:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11046000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/s0joshdun/pseuds/s0joshdun
Summary: tyler is no longer lonesome, with his boyfriend, a snarky and hyperactive merman named joshpart 2 of their stories





	meet me where the water is warmer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Tail This One Tells: _i must be a special kind of crazy, rowing out in the middle of the pacific for my mythical boyfriend_

_California, baby_. Tyler breathes in the salty air, walking barefoot through the plush-like sand. It’s two in the morning and the beach is completely empty. He had felt too shy to check out the beach in the daylight, afraid of running into too many people, as if they could see in his eyes what exactly he was scanning the waters for. 

Tyler still isn’t sure. The waves crash more often and higher up than they did back in South Carolina. He doesn’t know where to start looking—or _how_. He suddenly feels like a novice swimmer all over, especially after not being in ocean waves the past two months. 

As soon as he had said his goodbyes with Josh, his loving and excitable boyfriend, Tyler didn’t return to the beach. He had feared that going back into the waters, knowing he wouldn’t see Josh there, would cause too much disappointment and anxiety. His morning and evening swim routine and that sandbar had quickly become his thing with Josh. He couldn’t imagine doing it solo again. 

But it was okay. Tyler finished up a lot of his personal work—his music—and was able to go back to Ohio early to share it with his band mates. He had that as a distraction, the music keeping him company and passing the time as he looked forward to reuniting with Josh. 

Whenever the doubt crept into his mind, he toyed the handmade necklace Josh had gifted him in between his shaky fingertips. 

Tyler felt guilty every time he started to question Josh’s existence. The more time spent on the mainland, especially dry Ohio, amongst his human family and friends, the less real Josh seemed. And he felt torn, too, like he was living two different lives that he could never unite. He didn’t want to give up his human people, but he didn’t want to give up on Josh, either—and he wasn’t sure if he’d ever have to choose between them or if harmony between the two worlds was possible. All Tyler wanted was to be able to gush about his beautiful Josh to his family, whose curiosity swelled like ocean currents every time Tyler denied a blind date or looked happily lost in day dream. 

Tyler sighs, touching the pendant gently. “Where are you?” He breathes. 

He bites his lip and dips his toes in the water to start. The small rowboat next to him bobs up and down with the ripples of the tide. The unfamiliarity of the Pacific to Tyler makes it seem more vast and overwhelming than the Atlantic. He feels insane taking this tiny boat, practically a toy, out into the daunting black ocean, but, then again, that’s why he’s out there at two in the morning. His safety feels secondary—or, rather, he trusts that wherever he manages to float too, Josh will somehow be there.

“I just hope it’s the right timing,” Tyler mutters, pushing the boat out further. He nervously gulps and puts on a life vest—just in case, those waves sure are big—and says a silent prayer that he won’t run into any shark foes. 

It takes Tyler five tries to get passed the breakpoint of all the waves. The rowboat had flipped and knocked him on the head twice. “I am insane,” Tyler sings, climbing, dazed, into the boat as the ocean floor drops off. He’s not trying to drown—or get eaten—before he gets the chance to see Josh again. 

Tyler grips the necklace pendant tightly, anxiously. Sitting alone in what seems like the middle of the ocean, unsure if Josh is anywhere close to this part of the coast, Tyler feels like the black sky and black water is going to swallow him whole. He closes his eyes, where the blackness feels more natural. 

But then there’s a small splash. Tyler’s eyes snap open.

“Hey, Rip-Ty. What did one ocean say to the other ocean?”

Tyler’s jaw drops and his heart ascends into his neck. He can’t speak. 

“Exactly, nothing. They just waved.” 

Tyler breaks out in an overwhelmed smile, diving into the water. He doesn’t know which direction to turn underwater but trusts Josh, who darts quickly to him and immediately they find each other under the waves— _they had found their way back to each other_. 

“You found me!” Tyler cries, searching for Josh’s hands, and next, his lips. They kiss each other over and over, slippery and excited saltwater kisses. Tyler forgets where he is, as if being above or under water makes no difference, as if, in Josh’s company, holding Josh’s hands, kissing Josh’s lips, he doesn’t need to breath. 

“Yes, yes, now please don’t drown, Ty; that would be the worst reunion ever,” Josh says calmly, bringing them both up to the surface. He flips his wild pink hair out of his face and flashes his famous toothy grin at Tyler. 

Enchanted, Tyler sighs in relief and his eyes lazily flutter closed in bliss. “I’m so happy, Jishwa,” he says, leaning forward and draping his arms around Josh’s shoulders. He opens his eyes. Josh’s sparkling features lights up the whole ocean and night sky, like the stars but better. He doesn’t feel anxious here anymore.

Because, despite the fact that they don’t have a set meeting place, only a rickety row boat in the middle of uncharted (by them) waters, they are _home_. 

v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v

“Tell me all, Rip-Ty! How was the rest of your summer? How was moving? How’s your music? How are you feeling?” 

Tyler chuckles at Josh’s rapid fire questioning. Worn out from the excitement of their initial meeting, they both are lying on their backs inside of the rowboat. Every couple minutes or so, Josh dips the end of his tail into the water. His right arm is around Tyler and his left is draped over the edge of the boat, his hand floating at the surface. 

“It was okay, Josh. I got a lot done after you left because I wasn’t as distracted,” he teases.

“Hey, I thought I was your muse!”

Tyler kisses the side of his head. “Of course you are, I’m kidding. But it all went well. It was nice to see all of my family for a little while, too. And the move was exciting. I like my new place with my friends. We transformed our living room into a music studio.” 

“I wish I could come to your house, I wanna see,” Josh pouts.

“I wish I could come to _your_ house,” Tyler adds. “Your trip sounds way more interesting than mine. How’s the new spot? How did it all go?” 

“It was a blast as always,” Josh grins excitedly. He wiggles his eyebrows. “And ridden with danger.” 

“Oh, God.” 

“Hehe. Nah. It was cool. Saw all the sights, met up with old merfriends along the way. We took our time since we left early. The weather got kind of funky when we passed through the gulf, but, other than that, smooth sailing,” he winks. 

“That’s great,” Tyler says, dreamily rolling over, closer to Josh, snuggling into his neck. “Describe it to be more, please,” he murmurs, closing his eyes. He likes to listen to Josh talk about his world and the magic and beauty that comes with it. Tyler imagines coral reefs and warmth. Sure, he likes his new house, but it gets cold at night and the walls are grey. 

Josh closes his eyes, too. He speaks to Tyler softly, painting him pictures of his underwater life. It’s almost as if he’s singing. 

Tyler hums. “I love, love, love you Josh. You have me enchanted.”

“I got you right where I want you, then.”

Tyler laughs, playfully nudging Josh. “Can we try it again?”

“Try what?”

“The breathing thing,” Tyler murmurs. Josh blinks and bites his lip nervously. “Please.”

“I dunno, Ty. I feel like we should try in a more secure place, just in case. I wanna keep you safe.” 

“What if we just recreate exactly how it happened last time? Whatever we were doing, it worked.”

“If you’re just trying to kiss me, you can do that anytime you want.”

“That’s what I mean, though. I want to anytime I want, not just out here on the surface, not just with calculated holding breath time underwater.” 

Josh sighs. He can’t deny that he wants the same thing. He just doesn’t want to endanger Tyler unnecessarily. Plus, he hasn’t been able to do all the research he wants to, yet. His parents are skeptical and unsure, but they want to help him, also worried about Josh’s infatuation with a human. They fear that the difference between their worlds will disconnect him too much, drive him out, or worse, insane. 

“Don’t make me sing the song, Josh,” Tyler says with a sly smile. 

“Mmm. I think you gotta. It’s the only way.”

Tyler giggles and rolls on top of Josh, gently patting his cheeks. “ _Wandering freeeee, wish I could beeeeee, part of that world_ ,” he sings softly. “ _Into the sea, wish I could beeee, part of your world_ ,” he sings again, kissing Josh tenderly. 

Josh melts a little, kissing Tyler gingerly back. The rowboat rocks from side to side, bobbing with rippling waves. “Please,” Tyler murmurs. 

Josh sighs into Tyler’s mouth and kisses him again. He grips Tyler’s shoulders and pushes him up gently, nodding at him to the water. Tyler smiles a little and carefully climbs out of the boat first, holding the side of it for support while he waits for Josh to slide in as well. 

“I love how warm the water is out here,” Tyler muses. Josh wraps his arms around his waist and pulls him closer, chest to chest. Tyler lets go of the boat and they slowly spin, floating around together. It’s like they’re dancing. 

“It’s ‘cause we are on fire, baby.”

Tyler grins and presses his lips to Josh’s again. “I need to know there’s hope,” he says lowly. Josh can’t help but agree. 

Together, they submerge underwater, holding hands, kissing each other over and over. Tyler’s shuts off his brain, ignoring any need for breath, squeezing Josh’s hands with each kiss. It’s easy to be breathless around him. He makes sure not to let go of Josh’s hands, or to stray to far from his lips. He never wants to stray too far. He inhales. 

It’s like there’s an air bubble around him. Saltwater doesn’t filter through Tyler like Josh half expects. Tyler squeezes his hands harder, afraid to let go, breathing again, kissing again. 

And there it is. _Hope._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yAAyyyyyy merjosh is back! i grin like a dumby when i write this. i'm so happy to be back after 2 years. i love this little world. i hope you guys enjoy this! :))


End file.
